Nine products from Orro, Cairn, YT, GripGrab and more added to road.cc Recommends

Welcome to the latest road.cc recommends selection! We reviewed a lot of stuff in September as always, and nine of them have earned top marks for their impressive performance and value, bagging a spot on the road.cc Recommends list. Whether you're looking for a high-quality frameset, a practical pannier rack, a lightweight saddle, a classic book on wheel building, a versatile road bike, comfortable summer gloves, an e-gravel bike, a capable gravel bike, or an excellent endurance road bike, we've got you covered. These reviews highlight the best of the best from the past month, so let's dive in.

Bikes: 

Sarto Raso Frameset 
Orro 2024 Gold STC Force D2 Etap AXS
Cairn E-Adventure Rambler 
YT Szepter Core 4 
Merida Scultura Endurance 4000

Components and accessories: 

Elops Seat Post Pannier Rack 500 
Cadex Amp saddle 

Apparel: 

GripGrab SuperGel Padded Short Finger Summer Gloves 

And a book: 

The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt

...and you can read a bit more about them all below. 

Sarto Raso Frameset 

The Sarto Raso Frameset boasts stunning build quality, a smooth ride, and impressive stiffness where needed. Despite its peloton-ready aesthetics, it offers a comfortable and responsive ride, even on challenging road surfaces. Custom geometry options are available, and the bike's aggressive positioning aids with aerodynamics and power delivery. The bike's lively and responsive feel, combined with its ability to handle wider tyres, makes it versatile for both long distance rides or fast racing. At £7,520 the Raso is an investment, but it might be worth it if you're looking for a very fast bike. 

• Read the full review

Orro 2024 Gold STC Force D2 Etap AXS

The Orro 2024 Gold STC Force D2 Etap AXS Tailormade is a remarkable road bike offering a balance between aggression and comfort, making it suitable for various riding styles. Despite its light weight and stiffness, it delivers a sublime ride quality with great feedback.

The frame is constructed from high-quality carbon fibre and features internal cable routing and ample tyre clearance up to 32mm. Our test bike was equipped with SRAM Force AXS groupset that performed exceptionally and paired well with the rest of the bike's finishing kit. To quote Stu who reviewed the bike: "The Gold STC is the complete package for all kinds of road riding."

• Read the full review

Cairn E-Adventure Rambler 

The Cairn E-Adventure Rambler is an e-gravel bike that offers excellent performance and value for money. With upgraded frame geometry, a sleek look and a Campagnolo Ekar groupset, it excels in pretty much every aspect we assessed: handling, comfort, and fun on various terrains.

The Fazua drive system provides up to 58Nm of torque, making the bike very capable of conquering steep climbs. The bike's range is up to 74 miles and overall, Rebecca thinks it's a great choice for hardcore gravel enthusiasts and commuters seeking a fun and capable e-bike.

• Read the full review

YT Szepter Core 4 

Aaron has been busy testing the YT Szepter Core 4 gravel bike on his home turf over the last few months, concluding that the mountain bike brand's first foray into gravel is a capable off-road machine.

It has suspension, it has a dropper post and yet, it's still a gravel bike. With a gravity-oriented long and slack geometry, the Szepter offers superb value for money, and the compliant ride quality makes it comfortable on technical trails, where it handles like a mountain bike. While the integrated mudguards and limited colour options may not appeal to everyone, the Szepter Core 4 stands out as an exciting and unique option in the gravel bike market, especially so when you consider its £3,800 price tag.

• Read the full review

Merida Scultura Endurance 4000

The Merida Scultura Endurance 4000 impresses with its high value for money, combining top-quality components with an excellent frameset. Stu said the Scultura offers a comfortable and smooth ride, thanks to its comfort-oriented geometry and compliant frame design. The bike's neutral handling and user-friendly characteristics make it suitable for cyclists of various skill levels and overall, offering a balanced blend of comfort and performance at an affordable price point.

• Read the full review

Elops Seat Post Pannier Rack 500 

The Elops Seat Post Pannier Rack 500 is a cost-effective way to add a rack to your bike. The hassle-free installation process means it works seamlessly with a wide range of bikes and with a generous maximum load capacity of 10kg. It's perfect for daily commutes or longer rides where you need to carry more than the essentials. 

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Cadex Amp saddle 

The Cadex Amp saddle is an understated-looking saddle offering a blend of lightweight design and exceptional comfort. Weighing a mere 130g, it surprised our reviewer (in a good way) with its weight-to-comfort ratio. The ergonomic design ensures proper blood flow and comfort during long rides. Albeit, all of this does come at a premium price of £259.99.

• Read the full review

GripGrab SuperGel Padded Short Finger Summer Gloves 

The GripGrab SuperGel Padded Short Finger Summer Gloves offer excellent comfort and reduced handlebar fatigue during long rides with their 6mm DoctorGel padding on the palm. This padding provides effective shock absorption without compromising grip. They are well-ventilated for summer use and include practical features like a sweat/snot wipe and reflective details, and pull-off tabs make them easy to remove. While they are slightly pricier than some mitts, for those rougher roads these are really some of the best mitts you can get. 

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The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt

'The Bicycle Wheel' by Jobst Brandt, a seminal work on wheel building, has made a welcome return with this reprint of the book. While some aspects may be less relevant today due to the dominance of factory-built wheels, it can still serve as an informative and useful resource. Whether you want to learn wheel building or understand the principles of conventional wheel construction, this book offers valuable insights. Brandt's authoritative views and technical illustrations by Sherry Sheffield enhance its value, even though it lacks some updates you'd perhaps like to see on modern developments like carbon rims. 

• Read the full review